How To Groom A Schnoodle [Owners Step By Step How To Guide]

Grooming your Schnoodle will ensure that your dog remains clean, comfortable and will equally look great.

Being a hybrid dog, a cross between a Poodle and a Schnauzer, the Schnoodle coat can range in style and type, and color.

Therefore, when it comes to grooming, you need to be aware of the type of coat your own dog has. Either way, they are known to be low-shedders.

Understandably, a new Schnoodle owner will likely want to know how to groom their Schnoodle.

To groom a Schnoodle, you need to regularly brush, bathe, clean the ears and teeth. You’ll also need to trim their coat every so often, not forgetting to clip their nails.

In the following sections, we will cover the different types of coat your dog may have inherited along with some considerations to keep your dogs coat at its best.

Ultimately, you will need to spend some time, money, and effort keeping your dogs coat in optimal condition.

So, if you want to know exactly how to groom your Schnoodle be sure to keep reading!

The Schnoodle Coat

The Schnoodle’s coat is low maintenance, requiring minimal grooming that you will be able to do yourself at home.

That being said, there is some variation between the breed.

The amount of grooming that will be required depends on the type of coat that your dog inherits.

Coats can also be one of many different colors, depending on their heritage.

Colors can include black, brown, silver, gray, sable, apricot, black and tan, black and white, and even part-colored.

The different coat types include:

• Soft and wavy,
• Rough and wiry,
• and a “Poodle” curly type.

First-generation litters generally carry a coat that is soft and wavy to touch. This type of coat will remain with these dogs throughout their life.

Second-generation Schnoodles are more likely to inherit either the poodle’s curly coat or the wiry coat of the Schnauzer.

Either way, the coat of this breed is usually on the silky side. Neither type of coat is known to shed, making this a hypoallergenic breed.

Therefore, when owning this breed you will not have to worry about picking up hair deposited around your home. It makes them ideal if you suffer badly from allergies.

With this in mind, without the ability to shed, your Schnoodles coat must be managed. At some point, you will need to give it trim or shave them.

In between, and as the coat grows out and lengthens, you will need to regularly brush your dog.

The amount you should do so will depend on the type of coat that they have. This will ensure that the coat does not knot or matt.

This is true regardless of the type of coat they – but curlier and longer coats typically need more attention.

In actuality, the more you brush them the better – it’s less painful for your dog and reduces the risk of the coat becoming knotted.

Believe it or not, Schnoodles look great with a long beard and a short coat. Just make sure you clean it frequently and remove any dirt or food from their beard!

How Often Should You Groom A Schnoodle?

You should look to groom your Schnoodle frequently, but how often you do so depends on the level of grooming you want to provide and the type of coat your dog has inherited.

If your Schnoodle is the soft and wavy coat type, you must brush their coat once or twice per week; this is to prevent those pesky tangles and mats.

Schnoodles do not need frequent baths, only on a needed basis to keep their fur soft. 1-2x per month should suffice.

If you are looking to bathe your dog, it is best to brush them afterward rather than before. Drying your dog’s coat with a hairdryer (on a low setting at a safe distance) after the bath helps prevent mats and tangles from forming.

If your Schnoodle has the wiry rough coat of the Schnauzer parent, they won’t require as much grooming as their soft-haired counterparts.

But weekly brushing will keep their coat looking its best. Some trimming will help keep it looking neat and tidy.

Schnoodles with curly poodle coat types need frequent, if not daily brushing, and their coat needs clipping every 6 to 8 weeks.

Slicker brushes (like this very well-reviewed one on Amazon) are the best type to use for the Schnoodle breed – along with other poodle cross-breeds.

Learn why: Best Brush For Schnoodle [My #1 Pick And Buyers Guide]

Whichever coat your dog has, you must check their ears once per week for dirt, redness, or a bad smell, as this can be a sign of an infection.

Wipe their ears weekly with a dampened cotton ball using a gentle PH-balanced ear cleaner to avoid problems.

So to summarize:

• You should look to brush your schnoodle daily or multiple times per week (coat dependent)
• Check their ears once per week,
• Provide a bath 1-2x per month
• Provide a trim, visit a professional dog groomers every 6-8 weeks.

It’s important to groom your dog from a young age, so that they get used to the process, so that their coats grow out optimally and that they do not develop any health issues which can be prevented.

Below are the steps that you need to follow to meet their grooming requirements and to keep their coats in optimal condition.

How To Groom A Schnoodle (Step By Step)

Schnoodles have an attractive mix of their parent’s fur type; most have fine, wavy, silky fur that is low-shedding and hypoallergenic.

Taking your dog to a professional groomer is very costly. The good news is that this breed is easy to groom by yourself at home. So long as you stick to regular brushing, infrequent bathing, and some trimming/shaving every 6-8 weeks.

In doing so, you will ensure that your dog remains fully comfortable, clean, hygienic, and looks its best at all times.

Let’s look at the best way to groom your Schnoodle at home, step by step:

Step 1: Collect All Of The Required Supplies

If you decide to groom your Schnoodle at home, you will need certain items to do so effectively.

These include dog-friendly and safe shampoo, a brush, nail trimmers (or a grinder), and hair shavers/clippers.

You’ll also need to use other items which you should already have at home; like spare towels and maybe even a hairdryer.

• For shampoo, you need to invest in a product that was designed for use on dogs. Human shampoos contain many ingredients that harma dogs coat, and can lead to painful blisters and skin sores. This is an excellent dog shampoo to purchase from Amazon.
• A slicker brush is the best type for use on a Schnoodle. They are excellent at reducing knots and matts without harming your dog. They are easy to use and collected hair can be disposed off through the click of a button. Here is the one to get from Amazon.
• Nail clippers will help you to trim your dogs nails and keep them at a safe length. Similarly, you should purchase some that was designed to be used on dogs. This is because they are dimensionally optimal and include a safety mechanism to prevent you from cutting your dogs nails too short (which can cause pain and damage). These are the ones I bought from Amazon. Alternatively, nail grinders have been known to be equally, if not, more effective. Here is the pair I recommend.
• Dog Hair Shavers – These will enable you to provide infrequent haircuts and trim easily. Ones that are designed with dogs in mind are best, as they do not vibrate much and therefore will not scare your dog. These are some of the best ones to get from Amazon.

I use Amazon for all of my pet supplies. You can read personal reviews, purchase all of your required supplies together in one order and get them delivered the next day through the Prime program.

Step 2: Prepare For Grooming

Secondly, you need to locate and decide upon a suitable place in your home to groom your Schnoodle.

Of course, this will be dependent on your home and the space that you have available to you.

A lot of owners use their bathrooms; as you can use the bath and also close the door to prevent your dog from escaping.

Other popular options include a Kitchen sink (but of course, you need to be careful with hygiene here) and/or a utility sink.

If you have outdoor space, this can also work well. You will need to enclose a space to ensure your dog does not attempt to run away and be careful of any wet/windy weather.

Regardless of what works best for you – placing some towels down on the floor/ground will make cleaning up afterward a lot easier, and prevent you from potentially slipping over.

Step 3: Inspect Your Schnoodle

Before you start the actual grooming, it’s always a good idea to start by inspecting your dog from head to toe. Stroke them across their bodies.

Feel for any growths, lumps, dry patches, areas of hair loss, or areas of irritation/pain. If you are to find anything, you will first need to watch out for these when brushing/shaving.

This will of course enable you to be more gentle on your dog and ensure they are fully comfortable throughout the grooming process.

You may need to consult a vet depending on if and what you find through this inspection.

However, routinely inspecting your dog is a good idea to identify any potential health issues early and to get them the treatment they need when it matters.

Step 4: Bathe Your Schnoodle

If you are looking to bathe your Schnoodle, then you should do this first.

Place your dog in a bath/sink and gently calm them down and get them to sit. You may need to use treats here.

Begin by applying lukewarm water to your dogs coat.

As you pour water over your dog, make sure that their entire coat is saturated and water is running all the way through. Running your fingers through the coat will help here, and to ensure it is penetrating deeply enough.

Be very careful with the temperature of the water. Too hot and you can burn your dogs skin, too cold and you can cause stress and panic in them.

Equally, be careful of how much water you are using at a time. You need to be careful with particular showerheads.

Once your dog is completely wet, apply a gentle dog shampoo.

Make a lather with the shampoo in your hands and massage the shampoo into the coat.

Focus on one body part at a time. For their head, be careful so that the shampoo does not enter your dog’s eyes, ears, or mouth.

From here, may your way onto the rest of their body – finishing up with the legs. Be sure to massage the shampoo through the full length of the coat.

Then, rinse the shampoo out thoroughly (again with lukewarm water). Make sure that all the shampoo is removed and run your fingers through the coat to confirm.

At this stage, some owners like to massage olive oil into their dog’s coat. Olive oil is known to add moisture to your dog’s hair and helps Schnoodles sensitive skin. This step is of course optional.

Step 5: Dry Your Schnoodle

You then will need to dry your dogs coat. You can use a towel to do so.

With a towel, you want to stroke your dog thoroughly to remove excess water. You’ll be surprised at how much collects on the towel and how heavy it becomes so quickly!

To make drying easier, you can lay some additional towels down on the floor. Placing your dog on top of them then will enable you to focus on the drying. Just be careful if they want to shake off!

You need to dry your dog to a point where its coat is relatively dry. If you are struggling for time, you can always use a hairdryer to speed this up.

It’s important to not leave your dog damp as this can lead to them becoming unwell and ill. Being wet can quickly reduce their temperature, especially if you live in a colder area or climate.

If you decide to use a hair dryer on your dog you need to be very careful. Make sure that you put it on a low setting, and dry it from afar.

Otherwise, you run the risk of burning your dog or stressing them out through the loud noises they give off.

Keep in mind that you do not need to go the other way and overdry your dog’s coat. Schnoodles have thin coats that will dry quite quickly, not to mention their skin can also get very dry.

Step 6: Brush Your Schnoodle

Once your dog’s coat is fully dry, you can move on to brushing. Equally, if you did not want/need to bathe them you can start their grooming session with this step.

Use a slicker brush to remove tangles from your dog’s coat. Brush in the direction in which the hair grows.

Start with the face, and focus on any knots that appear to be forming. The beard area is an area likely to do this.

Once done, move down to your Schnoodles back, belly and legs. Focus on one body part at a time to ensure you brush their coat completely.

Depending on the coat type your Schnoodle has will impact how much brushing is required and how easy it is to do.

Either way, the more you brush the dog the less likely it will be to tangle and matt, and easier to keep it in optimal condition.

Be gentle while also firm as your brush, being careful not to cause any discomfort in your dog.

Step 7: Clean Your Schnoodles Ears

Cleaning the ears must be done regularly. This will enable you to reduce wax from building up and remove any dirt that manages to get in them.

Schnoodles are prone to ear infections so cleaning the ears will reduce the chances from them occurring.

A dog that needs its ears cleaned will show you through scratching, shaking of their head. Sometimes an odor will begin to develop.

To clean your dog’s ears, all you need to do is gently wipe the ears using cotton balls/buds. Just be careful how deep you go and stop if your dog becomes agitated.

Step 8: Trim The Nails

Trimming your Schnoodles nails regularly is important to prevent pain in your dog’s paws and to prevent them from causing pain and damage if they were to jump up/scratch.

When trimming the nails, be sure to hold your dog firmly by your side. This will stop them from trying to get away.

You’ll want to use an effective pair of nail clippers, or a grinder, designed for dogs.

Place your dog’s nail (one by one) into the clipper (and up to the safety mechanism) and be sure to make a clean cut.

You’ll only want to cut a small number of nails off a time, thankfully dog trimmers will ensure you do not over-cut.

Schnoodles have black colored nails making it harder to see the quick (living tissue that must not be cut). Because of this, be careful that you don’t accidentally nip this when cutting.

This is why cutting from underneath the nail is advised. It’s easier and helps you to identify the quick.

If you do accidentally cut the quick – your Schnoodle will likely bleed. In fact, trimming the nails may even lead to bleeding – if done right.

This happens, even with professional groomers and vets.

Applying some styptic powder to the wound will help stop the bleeding.

It’s great to have in your home when owning a dog – this stuff is ideal for putting on any wounds or cuts your dog happens to get.

Nail clipping is difficult, especially at first. If you do not like doing it yourself, a vet will be able to do this on your behalf during checkups.

This is again why I recommend nail grinding, which is generally much easier and safer all-around.

Step 9: Clean The Teeth

Another aspect of proper grooming is to clean your dog’s teeth.

Like us humans, a dog can develop health issues if they do not keep their mouths and teeth clean. In fact, they can even get heart disease if plaque is able to build.

The other benefits of teeth cleaning also include fresher breath and the elimination of pain as your dog eats.

Specific chew treats, like this, are often used by owners to keep a good level of oral hygiene in their dogs.

Alternatively, toothbrushes and toothpaste designed for dogs can also be purchased. This will enable an owner to manually brush your dog’s teeth. However, it is important to never use human toothpaste as fluoride is toxic for dogs.

As you can imagine, dogs will likely fidget during this process which is why chews and other dental toys make a suitable alternative.

It’s also a good idea to get your vet to inspect your dog’s teeth during each checkup – however, they will most likely do this anyway.

Trimming/Shaving Your Scchnoodle

Schnoodles are easy to trim and shave at home. You can do this easily yourself. However, there is the option to take them to a professional groomer too.

When shaving, you should use some electric clippers designed for use on dogs. The tutorial below is a useful guide to follow and how to give your Schnoodle a trim, appropriate for this breed.

Getting these clippers from Amazon will ensure you have all the required attachments, and items such as scissors and combs.

Step 1

Begin by placing a 12mm attachment to your clippers.

Start shaving your dog’s back, moving to the sides, and shaving in the direction of the hair growth.

By starting with a longer attachment, you’ll be able to get the length of coat you prefer and to get a more even look.

You can always use a lower mm attachment if you want the coat to be shorter.

Step 2

Move onto the chest area, this time you will want to use a 9mm attachment.

This will give a closer shave, as it is best to keep the chest fur shorter.

Because Schnoodles have such finely textured fur that tends to mat easily, it’s essential to check underarm and inner legs for mats.

If you see mats present, carefully remove them with grooming scissors.

Step 3

Groom the legs with scissors and use a slicker brush to fluff the fur and to help you decide how short you want to trim the leg fur.

Trim the feet using a 6mm attachment and then carefully cut the hair between your dog’s footpads with scissors.

Step 4

Carefully shave the anal area using a 12mm attachment. This will ensure that nothing is able to collect in this area!

Trim the tail using grooming scissors to your preferred length.

Step 5

Trim the ears and eye area using grooming scissors.

You can use grooming scissors to cut the beard and trim the top of their heads.

Wavy fur always looks best when left longer at the top and shorter everywhere else on the face.

Finally

Schnoodles make an excellent family pet that suits most households because of their relatively smaller size.

These dogs are considered hypoallergenic, and they don’t shed their coats.

However, this does mean regular grooming in the form of brushing is required. The more often you can do this the better.

Beyond this, you will need to regularly clean the ears and teeth and trim the nails safely.

While these will not need to be done as frequently, they do need doing nonetheless.

Taking your dog to a professional groomer is costly – and it is also not the most convenient.

This is why spending some money on the right tools (while costly at first) is the cost-effective thing to do. It will save you a lot of money over the long run.

The products discussed in this guide today are the best in their category; a lot of dog owners are using these products to effectively groom and look after their dog’s coats.

While grooming will likely be a challenge in your dog’s puppy years, thankfully, your dog will soon get used to it all.

They usually soon learn that grooming is a time where you give them all your attention – they soon learn to enjoy it!

Additionally, they will look better, be more comfortable, and will also be cleaner in your home.

Lastly, it is important to remember that there is a lot of variation in Schnoodles from one litter to the next.

For this reason, you must learn to understand your dog’s coat. That way you can learn to look after it and manage it much more effectively.

Related Guides:

• How Long Does A Dog Grooming Take?
• Do You Tip Dog Groomers?